Neat and tidy

Adding a mud room can help keep your family organized

Rain, snow, fall leaves and everyday debris can get dragged into your home. If you’ve dreamed of having a dedicated place to store muddy or wet footwear, outerwear and sports gear, the good news is that if you have an entrance, you can have a mud room.

First, consider the needs of those in the household, says Tamara Liebmann, a Montreal-based member of Professional Organizers in Canada. Count everybody, including pets.

Then, ask yourself: What things do you all need when you walk out of your home? What items, such as mail, work boots, keys, purse, backpack, caps, etc., do you bring home daily? Also, what gets tracked in, like mud, gravel, leaves or dirt?

Liebmann recommends setting up an “insta mud room” near the entrance you use most, which may not be the front door. Sometimes a side door or garage entrance makes a better spot for a mud room.

Go vertical

Once you’ve designated an area, install hooks, shelves or knobs on a wall. “Vertical is your best option if you have limited space,” Liebmann says.

Her favourite “insta mud room” hack is a shelf with coat hooks attached, which is ideal for keys, sunglasses, ID badges, purses and knapsacks. “These are super helpful,” she notes, “because then you’re increasing the amount of space you have without using valuable floor space.”

Chairs, benches and bins

“A bench will always be a bonus if you have the space, as it will be easier to put on and take off your shoes,” says Isabelle Lamy, a professional organizer and declutterer based in London, England.

Select a bench with storage underneath— open, or with drawers or shelves—or an upholstered flip-top bench or cube storage. If you live in a location that gets plenty of rain, sleet and snow, Liebmann recommends a boot tray as well; get one that can fit by the door, beneath a bench or in a small closet.

Bins can be used individually or with cube storage shelves and are a great way to conceal clutter. Use them to organize winter gloves, hats and scarves. In spring and summer, use them for outdoor toys, flip-flops, bug spray and sunblock.

Finishing touches

Add a mirror to the wall over the bench or shelves to make the space look larger and as a place to check your face on the way out. A tall vase makes a great place to park umbrellas.

Lamy adds, “We are usually more inclined [to keep] everything neat and tidy if the space is beautifully designed and the décor stylish.”

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